Did WWE subtly confirm Cody Rhodes' heel turn? Decoding the ending of SmackDown

The latest episode of WWE SmackDown ended with a massive brawl between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. This happened when The Scottish Warrior got an impromptu Undisputed WWE Title match against Rhodes. However, things ended unexpectedly when The American Nightmare used his title belt to cause a disqualification.

In the post-match, a major brawl broke out between them and the officials, and security arrived to separate them. However, amid all this, WWE subtly confirmed Cody Rhodes' character switch.

Usually, a babyface star never causes a disqualification by using unauthorized items or weapons in the ring. Despite The American Nightmare being a heroic star on SmackDown, he still used the championship to attack The Scottish Warrior. This change in behavior by the champion subtly suggests that Rhodes may have either silently turned heel or is on the verge of doing so.

Even Cody Rhodes appeared notably frustrated during this entire segment and was more ruthless than usual. All of this suggests that WWE is planning to turn him heel as the Undisputed Champion, and the ending of SmackDown is major proof of it.

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What's next for Cody Rhodes after WWE SmackDown?

Drew McIntyre claimed himself as the No. 1 contender for the Championship. As a result, Cody Rhodes granted him the match, but with the disqualification, their rivalry is not over yet.

The upcoming premium live event is Survivor Series: WarGames 2025, which is scheduled to stream live on November 29 from Petco Park in San Diego, California. The American Nightmare has already been advertised for the show, opening the possibility that Rhodes vs. McIntyre might be part of the card.

Besides that, Saturday Night's Main Event is another show ahead of WarGames, and WWE might incorporate a rematch between McIntyre and Rhodes for the NBC special. Also, their rivalry is likely to attract more attention in the coming weeks.

Also, it won't be a surprise if the Stamford-based promotion finally crowns McIntyre as champion. Previously, Drew had suffered losses in major matches, but with Seth Rollins defeating Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel, it diminishes his momentum, increasing the chances of McIntyre becoming the new titleholder.

Now, only time will tell what plans Triple H has in store for the Undisputed Champion and Drew McIntyre. If The Scottish Warrior becomes the new champ, the landscape of SmackDown will undergo a drastic change, and this potential title loss will further push the idea of Cody's heel turn.

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Edited by Neda Ali